Alex Klein was the longtime principal oboist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has made many recordings. In 1999, Klein released his debut, Oboe Concertos of the Classical Era, with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra under conductor Paul Freeman. In 2002, he snared a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Performance for the Chicago Symphony's recording of Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto. In 2019, joined by regular accompanist Phillip Bush, Klein released the album Twentieth Century Oboe Sonatas; it was followed in 2022 by When There Are No Words... Revolutionary Works for Oboe and Piano. Klein has taught at Oberlin College and Northwestern University. He is the artistic director of festivals in Brazil, the U.S., and the French Antilles.